The 3-year
GCSE course is an excellent foundation for those who wish to move to studying
Biology at A-level

The GCSE course enables students to develop an in depth knowledge of the
subject and the practical skills necessary to develop their
understanding. There are a wide range of topics that students will cover,
from the blood and circulation to ecosystems.

Year 9

Pupils at The Crypt
follow a bespoke ‘Foundations in Biology’ course that fully prepares them for
the GCSE course they cover in years 10 and 11.
During Year 9 pupils focus on ensuring they have an in depth
understanding of practical skills and the knowledge required to help them
become successful biologists at GSCE.
Full of practical experiments, whilst developing fundamental knowledge
in biology this year underpins their GCSE.

GCSE

In year 10 pupils
are following the AQA 9-1 GCSE course; this is a new specification with first
examination in 2017. In Year 11 pupils
follow the Certificate in Biology offered by Edexcel. Both these courses prepare pupils for the
challenging new A-level specification.
Pupils cover fundamental biological knowledge such as the functioning of
the heart and lungs as well learning about plant transport and reproduction. By year 11 our pupils move to the more
challenging areas of the course covering topics such as the structure and
function of the kidneys and inheritance.
Pupils have plenty of opportunities to develop their practical skills in
areas such as microscopy and dissection.

A-level

The GCSE course is
an excellent foundation for those who wish to move to studying Biology at
A-level. Biology is a very popular subject to study at A-level as it can be the
stepping stone for a huge variety of careers, as well as helping pupils learn
important skills such as logical and analytical thinking. We follow the OCR A course
which covers both plant and animal biology.

We have very high
expectations of our pupils and are always impressed with how hardworking and
conscientious they are. They are expected
to work independently developing a variety of skills, including research skills
and computer modelling, both of which will hold them in good stead at
university. Many of our students have
been very successful at achieving places at Oxford, Cambridge and other Russell
Group universities and we support them to achieve their best through our
Med/Vet/Dentistry careers group.

The A-level course
is an excellent foundation for those who wish to study Biology at degree level,
particularly for those wishing to study medicine or veterinary science, however
it is also popular with pupils who predominantly sit humanities AS-levels, but
wish to broaden the variety in their studies. We have close links with
Bristol University, and run a project called ‘Lab in a Lorry’ with them every
year. This allows our students to develop their level of knowledge and
understanding, and to get a flavour of Biology at degree level.

One of the key
strengths of the biology department is offering additional support to pupils
who require it. This may be on a one-to-one basis to help pupils improve
their study skills or it may be with revision sessions on topics pupils find
particularly difficult. With changes in
the A-level specification we will be working closely with pupils to help them
develop their mathematical skills as this now makes up 10% of the overall
AS-level.

We are passionate
about Biology at the Crypt and hope to inspire our students to embrace this
fascinating subject.